Children of the Heart : Final Battle
by Ghost in the Machine
Summary: Ranma must battle Cologne with Akane's life at stake.


Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Takahashi-sama and whomever she sold the rights to. I'm not in this for the money, just writing this for fun.  
  
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In three days, Tendo Ranma planned to fight Cologne for the last time. He wanted the old ghoul out of his life and away from his newly wed wife Saotome Akane. Ranma spent the remainder of the day and all the next day training like never before. Every one of his special techniques was brought out and gone over. When Ranma wasn't doing that, he and the rest of the Inner Circle were discussing strategy. The security that had been put into place for the war council was reinstated. Akane was never left alone, not even in the bathroom. All the preparations were closely observed. Even if by a set of eyes that no one else saw.  
  
The group that got on the train consisted of Ranma, Akane, their parents, Ryoga, Ukyo and Kuno. Ukyo and Akane were disguised as each other. Kasumi had cut Ukyo's hair and helped her dye it. Akane wore a wig. Ukyo wore Akane's gi and wedding ring while Akane was decked out in Ukyo's okonomiyaki seller's outfit complete with battle spatula. Although it wasn't expected to fool Cologne, it might fool Mousse or any allies Cologne had brought in that didn't really know the two women.  
  
At the town nearest to their destination, five of the eight people got off the train. Kuno, Genma, and 'Ukyo' stayed on the train, heading to a town further down the line. The other five checked into an inn where Kuno had made arrangements. Akane didn't want to dodge the fight, but Ranma was adamant about not giving Cologne a shot at her.  
  
Ranma, Ryoga and Soun took turns guarding 'Akane' through the night. After an early breakfast, the group proceeded on foot at a pace designed to get them to the site of the battle half an hour before noon.  
  
Ranma felt he was being observed from the moment he and his allies had entered the forest. The others felt it too, but no one could pinpoint the source of the feeling. Their caution slowed them a bit. They arrived with only five minutes to spare. Across the clearing from them, Gel stood alone.  
  
Once Gel was certain that he'd been noticed, he waved at the approaching group. "My great-grandmother, the honored Elder Khu Lon, would like to know why Saotome Akane is not with you."  
  
Ranma wasn't surprised that Cologne had penetrated their ruse. He answered, "Because this ain't about Akane, this is about me, no matter what the old ghoul says."  
  
"You have answered as my honored great-grandmother has said that you would. Please follow me to the site of the battle."  
  
"Sounds like a trap," Ryoga said.  
  
"Of course it's a trap," Ukyo commented while pulling a bandoleer and supply of mini spatulas (and a few other things) out of her pack. She missed her big combat spatula, but the training she had been receiving over the last two years had improved her other combat abilities to where she could function just fine without it.  
  
"I don't believe that Cologne would spring a trap that would hurt her own flesh and blood," Nodoka added while unwrapping the Saotome clan sword from the bundle she habitually carried.  
  
"Mom, I'd feel a lot more comfortable with that idea if Gel were a girl," Ranma responded. Ranma had been against his mother coming at all, but she had insisted. Ranma, in the tradition of Japanese men, acceded to his mother's request. But he didn't have to like it. "Eyes open guys."  
  
Despite his misgivings, Ranma motioned to the rest of his group and they began to follow Gel. Ranma's misgivings were well founded when after fifty meters, Cologne sprang her traps. Several large boulders exploded. Soun leapt in front of Nodoka and took the brunt of one blast across his own back. It was still enough to knock Nodoka unconscious. Soun was stunned, verging on unconsciousness.  
  
Ryoga shielded himself from debris with his umbrella. Ukyo and Ranma simply leaped above the explosions and into nearby trees. Ranma leapt out of his tree faster than the trap that was waiting for him there could close. Ukyo wasn't so lucky. A hail of darts, knives and other weapons were coming towards her. Using her mini spatulas, she deflected what she couldn't dodge.  
  
A total of eight concussive grenades went off, four in the tree Ranma had leapt from, and four in the tree Ukyo was still in. The shockwave knocked Ukyo unconscious and nearly popped her eardrums. She fell. Ranma was too far away to do anything about it. If not for Mousse leaping up to catch her at the last instant, Ukyo would have fallen to her death. The shockwaves did other damage too. Gel, who was no martial artist, broke his right arm blocking a falling branch. The clearing rapidly transformed into a war zone.  
  
Ranma was still leaping from tree to tree, setting off a variety of traps designed to incapacitate him. While he was busy, further events were going on at ground level. Shampoo was battling Ryoga and doing a credible job against the much larger man. Shampoo's bonbori had been replaced with smaller and lighter maces. Ryoga attempted to use his umbrella to keep her at bay, but Shampoo's speed was not to be denied. She was scoring a lot of quick hits. To someone of Ryoga's size and durability, they were more annoyances than anything.  
  
Ryoga didn't like fighting women. It could be said he liked it even less than Ranma. Plus, although he'd been training pretty hard the last few days, he wasn't at the top of his form. He'd been unable to summon his Shi Shi Hokodan during practice. After his marriage to Akari, he just didn't get that depressed anymore. His natural instincts also interfered with his fighting. He wasn't deliberately trying to harm Shampoo because Shampoo was a woman. It cost him. He made a sloppy thrust at Shampoo that she blocked upwards. Before Ryoga could reset his defense, Shampoo lashed out with a burst of Amiguriken-like speed, repeatedly striking the same spot on Ryoga's leg over and over. The leg broke just above the kneecap. Ryoga fought on for another few seconds, but after being disarmed, another burst of speed resulted in his other leg being broken. After that, Shampoo looked at Ryoga sadly before she backed away from her fallen foe to look at the rest of the battle.  
  
After exhausting all the traps laid for him, Ranma returned to ground level. Ukyo and his mother were unconscious, Soun nearly so, and Ryoga had two broken legs. "Maybe I should have brought everybody," Ranma muttered to himself.  
  
It was three on one now. Ranma knew he was in trouble. Cologne herself stepped out into the clearing to observe how well her traps had performed. She took a long look at her handiwork and laughed a laugh worthy of Kodachi.  
  
"You are such a fool Son-in-law. Like all men. I won't even need to sully my hands in capturing you. Mu Tsu! Xian Pu! Render this reluctant groom unconscious so that we may return to China."  
  
Ranma turned and took a few steps back so that he could see Cologne, Shampoo and Mousse all at once. Shampoo was slowly stalking towards him, weapons at the ready. She didn't look eager to engage in combat, but she looked ready. Mousse merely stood up from checking on Ukyo's condition and turned toward the Amazon matriarch. He said a single word, loud enough to be heard across the clearing. "No."  
  
Cologne let some of the rage that had been building in her since she had been felled by Akane loose. "You dare defy me! You dare side with the enemies of the Joketzu! MU TSU, YOU TRAITOR!" she screamed. A huge ball of energy flew from the end of her staff and blasted the young man a good ten meters backwards. Mousse, very sensibly, stayed down.  
  
Shampoo's eyes widened at this display, but after a split second, she continued her stalking of Ranma. She didn't stalk far. Ryoga, using his hands alone, had crawled over to where his fallen umbrella had landed. Propping himself up with one hand, he threw the umbrella like a javelin at Shampoo. She heard Ryoga's grunting effort, but did not (or chose not to) react fast enough to dodge. The massive parasol impacted the back of Shampoo's left knee and knocked her to the ground. She got back up, but was clearly limping. Ryoga flopped to the ground, utterly spent by the effort and by the pain of his broken legs.  
  
"Xian Pu! Hold! Your place in this battle is over." Shampoo nodded and limped to the nearest tree to rest. Cologne continued, "Well Son-in-law, it appears that we will have to settle this between us. One on one."  
  
"My -name- is -Tendo- Ranma, and I wouldn't want it any other way, you old bitch."  
  
The battle between Cologne and Ranma, the final battle, began.  
  
It started rather conventionally. Speed was met with speed. Kicks, punches, and other assorted blows were exchanged with little to show for the efforts expended. Ranma fought defensively early, but need was causing him to tap reserves uncalled for since Jusendo. After five minutes of battle, Ranma's speed was enough that Cologne couldn't tag him. But every thing Ranma threw at the older woman was dodged or blocked by her staff.  
  
So the battle moved on to the next stage. Ranma put some space between himself and Cologne and launched a fast Moko Takabisha without preamble. Cologne dodged and countered with a similar technique of her own. Ranma nimbly leapt over it. Cologne closed the distance and tried again. Ranma rolled under it and nearly connected with a viciously fast kick.  
  
Both of them realized their mutual dilemma. If they were too far away, their opponent would dodge any chi attack that was thrown at them, if their were too close, their opponent could attack physically while they were setting up the correct mind set for chi usage. So much for basic chi usage.  
  
One of Ranma's hole cards had been to get Shampoo wet and resort to the Cat Fist if he had to. But that plan was out of the question with no back up. Ranma also knew better than try to set up any form of the Hiryu Shoten Ha including the Atsui to Samui Arashi no Tenchi. The old ghoul had taught him the basic technique and probably had defenses against any variation he could throw at her. That left one trick. He'd used it twice against Happosai with mixed results, but Shampoo and Cologne had been out of the country both times he'd done it. The old woman might not have a counter for it.  
  
"Double Elephant Recursion Loop!" Ranma shouted. The shout was more to distract Cologne than anything else. If he was lucky, she'd be busy trying to figure out what it meant as opposed to defending against it. The basic idea is to suck the chi right out of your opponent like an elephant sucks water out of a pond. The chi is then hosed back at the target and sucked up by the other elephant, which is then hosed back again, and so on... Part of the energy drained goes into making the elephants' suction stronger and faster, part of it is lost. (Chi Thermodynamics.) So if your opponent doesn't break the chain quickly, they can be seriously screwed.  
  
Cologne was puzzled for a split second until she felt a tugging at her chi, and a small impact, seemingly from nowhere. This was followed by another tug and another impact. She didn't know exactly what Son-in-law had done, but she was putting a stop to it. Leaping off at an angle, Cologne strove to make her body and spirit obey her will. When the next pull came, it was harder, but she fought it off without losing any of her chi. Another pull came and she fought that off as well. There were no impacts. Two more small tugs came, but were shrugged off before the technique collapsed. Total elapsed time from first pull to last was less than a second.  
  
Cologne was somewhat shaken, but covered it well. "Nice try, Son-in-law," she commented as she landed. "But you'll need to do better if you expect to win this game."  
  
Ranma groaned internally and got ready for a long drawn out battle. He'd try wearing her down. That was his final option unless he came up with something brand new right on the spot. Ranma closed in and started to launch physical attacks again. Cologne dodged and blocked, slowly retreating. Ranma knew he hadn't got any faster. Since he wasn't scoring any hits, he knew Cologne hadn't got any slower. Therefore, she was losing ground on purpose.  
  
While Ranma had figured out what was going on, he was a split second slow in figuring out why. Cologne fell back on her own final option. Treachery. She had carefully led Ranma toward a boulder that exploded when she touched it with the tip of her staff. Ranma reflexively protected his eyes. Before he knew what happened, Cologne had struck. Over two dozen needles struck vital nerve centers, paralyzing Ranma's limbs even as debris from the explosion pelted both fighters. Cologne had sacrificed her own defense in order to make the attack. She was bleeding from a cut on her forehead, but otherwise appeared unhurt. Cologne laughed another Kodachi worthy laugh as blood dripped down her face.  
  
"Let me tell you what is going to happen now Son-in-law. I've brewed a special potion for you to drink. What will it do? Oh, it will destroy your will and most of your mind along with it, but your seed will stay intact. My great-granddaughter might not love you as much that way, but you'll still produce fine children. As for 'Saotome Akane', I will track her down and kill her, and any who stand with her for the insult she gave me. I might just capture her and let you kill her as your first task as a mindless slave. But maybe feeding your friends to you first would be better."  
  
'She's gone completely nuts,' Ranma thought to himself. Remaining silent, he turned his attention inward in a desperate effort to neutralize the effect of the needles.  
  
"Game Over Son-in-Law. You've lost," Cologne hissed in triumph.  
  
"Oh I wouldn't say that Cologne dearie," said a voice from behind her.  
  
Cologne spun around upon realizing just who had said that. "Happosai!" Cologne snorted in contempt before continuing, "They must truly be fools if they called for your help."  
  
"Well guess what you stupid old fart? They didn't ask for my help. I'm here all on my own. Ranma and Akane are the heirs to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. I'm not about to let you screw that up."  
  
"This is a matter of Amazon law. Even -you- know better than to interfere."  
  
"Oh take your Amazon laws and stuff them where you've been stuffing that staff for the last fifty years."  
  
Cologne eyes grew even wider than normal as she screamed incoherently and leapt at Happosai.  
  
For those still conscious, it was a battle for the ages. Both combatants were visible only as blurs. Moves and counter moves being executed faster than the eye could follow. But the overall course of the battle was clear to Ranma. Happosai was losing. It was that damn staff. It gave Cologne just enough of an advantage that she was wearing Happosai down.  
  
Ranma focused his chi. He brought his awareness to each of the pressure points Cologne had struck. Using his chi, he strove to undo the effects of each one. A fiery red aura surrounded him and one by one the needles popped free of Ranma's body. He was still paralyzed, so he switched to any icy cold chi and focused on the nerve clusters that had been struck. As the battle between Happosai and Cologne raged on, Ranma concentrated every fiber of his being on moving his arm, his wrist, just one damn finger. After agonizing seconds, his right thumb finally responded. More time was investing into regaining control of his right hand, then right wrist, then right arm. The rest of the nerve locks failed after that.  
  
Ranma came to the unpleasant realization that lethal force would be required to stop Cologne. Even more than two years after Jusendo, he still had nightmares about Saffron's grisly demise. Even knowing that Saffron had been reborn wasn't enough to assuage his conscience. But once again, Akane's life was at stake. Not only hers, but his parents, in-laws and friends as well. Perhaps not as directly, or as dramatically, but Ranma had no doubts that Cologne would do as she had threatened. And only death would stop her.  
  
He dashed over to his mother's prone form and snatched up the Saotome Clan Sword. As he picked it up, Cologne smashed Happosai to the ground. Her back was to Ranma, but he heard what was said.  
  
"You've grown truly pathetic Happosai. I'll be doing the entire world a favor by killing you." Cologne raised her staff high and smashed her foe's head. This was followed by three more blows, each more than enough to kill a normal man. She raised her staff for what she thought should be the final blow necessary to crush Happosai's skull and end his life.  
  
Ranma charged Cologne as fast as he could. He knew that he wouldn't reach her in time to save Happosai. Cologne knew he was coming. Ranma knew that she knew and did the only thing he could think of. He threw the sword. Not at Cologne, but at her staff.  
  
A sword that can sever a head in one blow versus a staff of chi enhanced wood. There was a flash of light when the two items touched. The sword impacted into a tree, buried to half its length. The top half of the staff fell off. The world went silent for a split second.  
  
"NO!!!!" screamed Cologne as she turned to attack Ranma. Truth be told, she planned to kill the young martial artist, Amazon laws be damned. Enough was enough. But she felt herself restrained by the bloody beaten old pervert at her feet.  
  
"Cologne dearie... I've got one trick left..." Happosai whispered quietly. As a flickering black aura grew around him, Happosai found strength for one last request and one final attack. "Name the first one for me boy! HAPPO-DAIKARIN IMPLOSION!!" With his final word, a gigantic version of the chi bombs that Happosai used appeared. The struggling forms of Cologne and Happosai could be seen vaguely within. The giant bomb abruptly shrank from ten meters to one meter in height, losing its translucent quality. Ranma could see the 'fuse' sputtering away and chose to suck dirt.  
  
The explosion was a lot smaller than Ranma had expected. It was still enough to knock him along the ground like a rag doll for a couple of meters. The only things left behind at the blast site were smoldering fragments of Cologne's staff, some burnt tatters of clothing and a single pair of scorched silk panties.  
  
Shampoo limped over to the blast sight. Mousse got up slowly from where Cologne had blasted him earlier and got busy treating Gel's injuries. The traps that Cologne laid had hurt even her own great-grandson.  
  
Shampoo dried her tears before she began speaking. Whether she was speaking to Ranma, or merely for the record was unclear. "As I said it would be, a great tragedy. As senior Joketzu warrior present, it is my duty to return home with the news of Elder Khu Lon's death." She picked up the broken and burned fragments of Cologne's staff and scouted around until she found the section that Ranma's desperate throw had chopped off.  
  
"Tendo Ranma, you are no longer my airen. I renounce any claims that I or the Joketzu have upon you. We will trouble you no more. But know this, I would have been a good wife for you."  
  
Ranma's emotional state jumped around a bit as Shampoo spoke. It finally landed on resignation. Somehow, no words could make it past his throat. He had no snappy comeback, no flip comment, nothing at all. It was as if he knew there was more to come. And he was right.  
  
Shampoo took a few calming breaths before ordering in a formal tone, "Mu Tsu of the Joketzu! Come forth!"  
  
Mousse finished adjusting the splint on Gel's arm and walked slowly toward Shampoo, stopping a meter or so away from the not quite crying Amazon. "At your command, Warrior Xian Pu." The words were the ones required by custom, but everyone who heard them knew that Mousse was fed up with custom.  
  
"Mu Tsu, before her death, Elder Khu Lon charged you with consorting with the enemies of the Joketzu. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"  
  
Mousse polished his glasses before answering. "There are no enemies of the Joketzu here. There never were. A long time ago, I thought they may have been. I was wrong. At worst, they were rivals who sought the same things that we did, at best, they were allies who fought alongside us."  
  
"Their actions have said otherwise."  
  
"Their -actions- were to protect themselves from Cologne, not from the Joketzu." From the tone in his voice, it was certain that Mousse wasn't going to put up with much more of this.  
  
"You claim that Elder Khu Lon acted from personal malice and not for the benefit of the tribe?"  
  
"Yes." The one word answer was clear and unmistakably cold.  
  
There was a noticeable pause before Shampoo continued. "Hear then my judgment. Mu Tsu, I find you willfully disobedient. You are Joketzu no longer. You are an outsider."  
  
"So be it," Mousse replied before turning and walking away slowly. As he passed Gel, he tousled the youth's hair. Soon his retreating figure was lost to sight.  
  
Shampoo watched Mousse leave. Once he was out of sight, she blew out a sigh. With all the formality in her voice gone, she said "I am glad that's over."  
  
Ranma was emotionally exhausted. He knew that Shampoo hadn't been behind the events of the day and held no real anger towards her. After glancing in the direction that Mousse had left by, he finally found his voice. Unfortunately Ranma's voice said something stupid. "You don't seem too broke up about Cologne's death."  
  
"I'll grieve later, in private. I'm still in shock and I just do not have the luxury of falling apart right now."  
  
"Shampoo, don't get me wrong or nothing, but if Mousse is an outsider now, can't he marry you if he wins a challenge fight?"  
  
"He could. But he won't."  
  
"I don't know, he's gotten pretty good over the last couple of years."  
  
Shampoo gave one of her famous 'Chinese bimbo' laughs, although there was a nervous tinge to it. "Ranma, I meant that he wouldn't challenge me. He knows I don't love him." There was a brief pause as Shampoo sighed. "I did once, a little. But I don't now and Mousse knows this. Besides, he doesn't love me anymore."  
  
"I find that hard to believe."  
  
"Ranma, when Mousse got cured, I was so mad. Jealousy, anger, hatred. Everything. I did things to him that I am ashamed to even think about now. Cologne did him a favor when she threw him out. I might have killed him, I was that... insane. Eventually, I got over my anger, and Mousse... got over me."  
  
'I wouldn't bet on that,' Ranma thought to himself. Out loud, he said, "I'd better track down Akane, Pops and Kuno. Let 'em know what's happened."  
  
"I have many people to inform about the events of this day as well. In case we do not see each other again, this is good-bye." Shampoo leaned over and hugged Ranma. Not an Amazon glomp, just a small polite hug. Ranma barely felt the kiss on his cheek that followed.  
  
Ranma put his hand on the spot where Shampoo had kissed him. He watched as Shampoo walked to where Gel was waiting. Gel waved goodbye with his good arm and the two walked off into the forest.  
  
Ranma retrieved the Clan sword and did what he could about the injured. His mother and Ukyo were just unconscious, smelling salts roused them. Ukyo's ears would be ringing for a few days though. Soun's gi was badly shredded and he had numerous cuts all over his back from when he had shielded Nodoka from Cologne's trap. Nothing that was still bleeding, and only a couple that could use stitches. But he'd be carrying a new set of scars for the rest of his life. Soun wanted to help Ranma with the others, but Ranma convinced the older man to rest instead.  
  
Ryoga's broken legs were serious. They might eventually require surgery. But all that could be done at the moment was administer pain killers and splint them so they could get him to a hospital. It was a battered group that limped out of the forest.  
  
END  
  
Children of the Heart - Final Battle 


End file.
